Frankfort Public Library District

05/14/2026

May's adult programming features several events celebrating our 60th birthday.

Thank you to everyone who attended Antique Appraisals by Rex and Getting Your Kicks on Route 66: Tales from the Mother Road in Illinois.

Marking his *5,000th* presentation, Rex shared expert insights into the antique world.

Erika Holst, Curator of History at the Illinois State Museum, explored Route 66's history through oral accounts of mid-20th-century travel. The presentation covered the daily experiences of travelers, including the specific challenges and safety strategies of Black travelers during that era. The Illinois State Museum will open a related exhibition on May 23, 2026, running through April 2027.

05/14/2026

📖
Join us to discuss The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner.

Follow an apothecary living in 18th century London as she attempts to navigate the consequences brought about by her newest client, and the modern day historian who may hold the key to solving the mystery.

Print copies of the book will be available at Frankfort Library's Circulation Desk one month before the meeting date. Ebook and e-audiobook copies are available through Libby and Palace Project with your Frankfort library card.

Please select the link below to sign up for the discussion or call Adult Services at 815-534-6173.

05/13/2026

🔮📖
Join us to discuss Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett.

In the early 1900s, a curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town to study faerie folklore, where she discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love.

Copies of the book are available at the Library's Circulation Desk. Ebook and e-audiobook copies are available through Libby and Palace Project with your Frankfort library card.

Please select the link below to sign up for the discussion or call FPLD Adult Services at 815-534-6173 for registration assistance.

05/13/2026

Our friend Curt Strutz is bringing his animatronic dinosaurs to the Library for this all ages show! Do you dare take a picture with a velociraptor?

Registration is required. Please register online, in person, or by phone at 815-534-6178.

https://frankfort.librarycalendar.com/event/dinosaur-dimensions-24147

05/13/2026

To mark the Frankfort Public Library District’s 60th birthday, our Tiny Art Show is on display until May 30.

We are currently showcasing 59 unique pieces that explore themes such as "Library," "Birthday," and the "1960s." The artists chose a diverse array of media, including paint, markers, collage, stickers, sequins, and mixed media. The collection features impressive variety, from 3-dimensional creations to an intricate paper-quilled work!

05/12/2026

🧁🐑
Celebrate Frankfort Public Library District's 60th Birthday at our outdoor petting zoo. Stop by to visit with and feed goats, sheep, chickens, bunnies, a mini donkey, a llama, and a calf from Zoos R Us.

This event will be held on the southeast side of the building in the parking lot.

05/12/2026

Tonight!

🛣️🛑66
One hundred years ago, Route 66 was born. The famous federal highway was commissioned in 1926 and stretched 2,400 miles to connect Chicago to California. Over the next century, millions of people traveled that ribbon of highway. Route 66 witnessed depression and war and boom times and decline. The experiences it offered were as diverse and complicated as America itself.

This presentation explores the history of Route 66 and the experiences of everyday people who lived, worked, and traveled along the Mother Road during its heyday. Through this presentation you will:

🚙 Experience some of the 100 oral histories compiled by the Illinois State Museum providing insights of travelers’ own words of what it was like “back in the day.”
🚙 Learn about discrimination faced by Black travelers on Route 66 and the strategies they employed to ensure safety and dignity while traveling.
🚙 Learn about the differences in road travel in the mid-20th century vs. today.

At the end of the presentation, attendees will be invited to share their road trip memories and/or memories of Route 66.

You can register in person, by phone (815/534-6173), or online: https://frankfort.librarycalendar.com/event/route-66-27648

05/11/2026

🛣️🛑66
One hundred years ago, Route 66 was born. The famous federal highway was commissioned in 1926 and stretched 2,400 miles to connect Chicago to California. Over the next century, millions of people traveled that ribbon of highway. Route 66 witnessed depression and war and boom times and decline. The experiences it offered were as diverse and complicated as America itself.

This presentation explores the history of Route 66 and the experiences of everyday people who lived, worked, and traveled along the Mother Road during its heyday. Through this presentation you will:

🚙 Experience some of the 100 oral histories compiled by the Illinois State Museum providing insights of travelers’ own words of what it was like “back in the day.”
🚙 Learn about discrimination faced by Black travelers on Route 66 and the strategies they employed to ensure safety and dignity while traveling.
🚙 Learn about the differences in road travel in the mid-20th century vs. today.

At the end of the presentation, attendees will be invited to share their road trip memories and/or memories of Route 66.

You can register in person, by phone (815/534-6173), or online: https://frankfort.librarycalendar.com/event/route-66-27648

05/11/2026

Searching for your next great read, interesting study, or story? Look, grab, check out, then go, read, listen, or watch! 📚🎧🎥

Our feature titles for May are as follows:

ADULT
📖 1966-2026 Celebrate our 6️⃣0️⃣th birthday! 🧁
📖 67
📖 DIY - Do It Yourself 🛠
📖 For Fans of the PITT
📖 Military History 🎖
📖 Storms 🌪⚡⛈
📖 Baseball ⚾
📖 Social Media
📖 May Flowers 🌹🌷🌹
📖 Staff Picks: Elisabeth 📚
📖 What to Read Next...
📖 For Fans of...

YOUNG ADULT/TEENS
📖 Musicals
📖 Judge a Book by Its Sprayed Edges

YOUTH
📖 May Holidays 📅
📖 dig, dig, dig! dirt & dozers
📖 Youth Events

Discover more in the Library Catalog: https://frs.swanlibraries.net

05/11/2026

🧁☕Thursday, May 28th is Frankfort Public Library District's Birthday! Drop by for coffee, light refreshments, crafts, and games to celebrate our birthday.

📸: In the center of this historic photograph is Arlene Santoro, Frankfort Library's first administrative librarian, who is proudly wearing a t-shirt that reads, "Smile...you have a library!"

To learn more about our history, please visit: https://www.frankfortlibrary.org/about/library-mission-strategic-plan/ (scroll down to FPLD Historical Timeline)